FORT GORDON, Ga. – The U.S. Army Signal Corps welcomed its 44th Chief of Signal and Signal School commandant in a change of responsibility ceremony at Signal Theater, July 31, 2026.
Col. Julia Donley relinquished her duties as the 43rd Chief of Signal and commandant to Col. Bernard Brogan, marking the official end of Donley’s 26 years of military service.
Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, served as presiding officer for the ceremony. Prior to Janovic’s remarks, guests were treated to a brief demonstration highlighting the evolution of communication – made possible by the men and women of the Signal Corps.
From semaphore flags to modern-day communication kits and everything in-between, “the history of the Signal Corps is a great one – it is one that you can see in different parts of the installation, and there is a lot to be proud of,” said Janovic.
Widely known for her involvement in bringing awareness to the Signal Corps’ “Hello Girls,” the commanding general described Donley as “one of the most stalwart supporters” of the Signal Regiment’s history and traditions. Perhaps just as noteworthy, if not more so, has been Donley’s unwavering commitment to the men and women serving in today’s Signal Corps – as well as those of the future.
“There is no better officer than you to do what we needed to be done, and you did it in a way that is professionally relaxed – yet were willing to challenge convention – willing to say, ‘That is not right,’ willing to push boundaries, willing to go faster than we’ve gone before, and you do it in a way that is uncharacteristically always about protecting our Army’s Signal Regiment,” Janovic said of Donley.
At a time when the nation is engaged in war, Janovic acknowledged there are service members currently serving in harm’s way, which has led to many difficult discussions and critical decision making. Through it all, Donley kept those service members’ well-being at the front of her mind.
“Thank you – publicly – for keeping us focused on the quality of what comes out of our classrooms, the readiness that goes into these formations, the commitment to excellence across the Signal Regiment, and then the recognition that they are in hard, hard places doing what our nation asked them to do,” Janovic said.
Turning to Brogan, Janovic tried to articulate the weight of responsibility he is being trusted with in leading the force into the future. His advice to the new commandant was two-fold: turn to others for assistance and remain mindful of the people behind the mission.
“You will do great things with the love of this family, with the mentorship that has existed for years, with the mentorship that’s going to rise out of the seats of the NCO Corps … and remember your task is to delver to our Army the finest trained young men and women the Signal Regiment has ever known,” Janovic said. “Do that and everything else is secondary.”
Taking to the stage for her final time and having been awarded the Legion of Merit moments before the official ceremony, Donley’s remarks focused on gratitude and the countless people who contributed to her success.
”As awards get fancier and higher up, it’s because they’re not about individual effort anymore; they are a reflection of all the people the leader worked with, and those peoples’ hard work, efforts, and heart to get the mission done, Donley said. “I have been very lucky over the course of my 26 years to be a part of some really wonderful teams, and the Signal School and the Regiment – I am super proud to have been a part of that as the culmination of my career.”
Brogan also expressed a plethora of gratitude as he took to the podium for his first remarks as the 44th Chief of Signal, which he described as “a profound opportunity.” He then proceeded to share thoughts about how got to that point in his career.
“Number one: Trusting in God and knowing there is no weapon against me that shall prosper,” Brogan said. “Number two: Command Sgt. Maj. Craig Johnson … Number three: Be a good teammate … Number four: Nothing replaces hard work.”
Brogan elaborated on each point and pledged to lead the Signal Corps with those same principles, while emphasizing that he will ensure that all ranks receive training required to “protect themselves and enable data from the edge to the enterprise – for warfighting and the use of modernized command and control systems – which our nation’s warfighters need to deploy, fight and win.”
“I thank you today for taking your time to come – far and wide – to see a young man from Alabama take some responsibility to help our nation,” Brogan concluded. “I stand ready to fight and defend.”